This invention relates generally to devices for cutting pipes and more particularly to a tool designed for cutting the pipe by engagement with the inside wall thereof.
It is often difficult to cut a pipe by the conventional transverse cutting through the outer wall thereof by reason of the location, such as a pipe buried in the ground or extended through a structure which cannot be removed.
Further in the case of certain systems which are buried underground such as fuel or gas tanks, municipal ordinances require that when such systems are rendered inoperable or unuseable that the filling pipes for such systems must be removed.
One method of removing such pipes is to pass a suitable cutting tool through an available opening for such pipe so that the pipe can be cut by engagement with the inner wall thereof.
For this purpose various types of internal pipe cutting tools have been developed in the art as is shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 514,985; 295,307, and 2,728,138. These tools generally are insertable through an opening of the pipe for a length within the limits of the particular tool and have cutting jaws which can be progressively expanded as the tool is rotated so that cutting heads on the cutting jaws will progressively cut through the wall of the pipe from the inside thereof.
The present invention provides an improved internal type cutting tool in that the manner in which the tool is supported and the construction of the means for actuating the cutting jaws relies on cam action to pivot the jaws so as to bring the cutting heads into cutting engagement with the inner wall of the pipe to be cut.